Cassoulet & Company

Little did I know that fateful day when I chose to try my hand at cassoulet that I was stepping into the middle of a centuries-old French controversy about it's origin. (Controversies in France are passed on like old linens and armoires from generation to generation a La Cousine Bette)  Three cities in southwestern France- Toulouse (lard, mutton, Toulouse sausage, duck or goose), Castelnaudary (pork, pork rind, sausage, occasional goose), and Carcassonne (mutton and the occasional partridge) -  all claim to be the originators of the dish. Though truth be told, it was probably a thrifty housewife or innkeeper who cobbled together a hearty white bean-based dish with odds and ends of meats left over in the larder.

Canal du Midi

Funnily enough, prior to the advent of the Picky Eater, old Dr. Hal and I once toured through the Languedoc, stopped over in these very villes, and spent several days following the course of the Canal du Midi by car from vineyard to vineyard. Those dim recollections from the distant past must have spurred my interest, as I do vaguely recall eating cassoulet for lunch in one of those quirky only in Europe restaurants run by a cooperative of housewives. Though this time, quelle horreur! I was, proposing to make a vegetarian version.

Dan's cassoulet- lusciously earthy!

With surprising synchronicity, across the continent my compatriot in cooking and dear college friend, Danial Elliott, was developing his own (non-vegetarian) cassoulet adaptation, based on recipes from Saveur & Julia Child. I love Dan's recipe because you get all the delicious richness of a meaty cassoulet without laboring for the proverbial three days, as is expected for an authentic traditional style dish. In fact, by soaking the beans a day ahead, I managed to make both recipes simultaneously in an afternoon. To further gild the lily, Dr. Hal insisted on roasting some duck legs for an extra soupcon of gluttony in our meat version. Drink a hearty peasant wine from southwestern France with your cassoulet similar to the Clos La Coutale 2010 from Cahors that Dan and I both enjoyed at our geographically distant tables.

And what would my personal ideal cassoulet be? I would propose a hybrid of the two recipes- use the vegetarian but add about 2 lbs. of sauteed pork shoulder cubes and a pound of my favorite Aidell's chicken sausage with basil & roasted garlic, also sauteed.

For dessert, try a thin slice of David Lebovotz's rich but not heavy Chocolate Pain d'Epices, accompanied by a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or vanilla ice cream. It's spicy flavors hold up after the cassoulet without making you feel bilious.

Meat (left) & Veg (right)

Les Grandes Cassoulets

Prepare the white beans, which work the same way for either version-                                                   1 lb. pound Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans, or other dry white beans, such as Great Northern
1 medium onion sliced
1 large herb bouquet made up of
8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves,
1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves,
all tied in washed cheesecloth (recommended- otherwise you have to handpick the herbs out of the beans after they're cooked)
1 Tb salt, or to taste

Pick over the beans to remove any debris, wash and drain them, place in a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Or, if thinking far enough ahead to soak the beans overnight just isn't on your bandwidth, use the Julia Child approved quick soak method:
After you have washed & drained the beans, put them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the beans to a boil and let them boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the beans sit for exactly one hour.

Wrapped bouquet garni containing parsley, thyme, garlic, bay leaves

When the beans have finished soaking, drain and cover them with water by two inches. Bring them to a simmer and add the onion and herb bouquet. Simmer slowly, partially covered, until the beans are just tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding boiling water if needed to keep the beans covered at all times, and about 1 tablespoon of salt to taste near the end of the cooking. (Beans may be cooked up to 3 days in advance then refrigerated. Reheat them just to a simmer before proceeding with the cassoulet or reheat the whole casserole together in a low oven, as described below.)

Assembling the meat cassoulet- note the crispy duck legs & thighs.

for Traditional Meat Cassoulet
Prepare the meats:
Olive oil
Salt
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 lb. pork butt, cut into 1" pieces
1⁄2 lb. pancetta, cut into 1/2" cubes (caution: pancetta may be salty! If in doubt, simmer it in water for 10 minutes.)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 14 oz. can whole peeled canned tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. pork sausages
2 cups bread crumbs
1 Tb finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Optional: 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. whole duck legs

Heat 2 Tb. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork cubes and brown on all sides, for about 8 minutes. Add the pancetta, and cook until it has rendered its fat and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2-3 tbsp. of the cooking fat and reserve it for later. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the herb bouquet to the pan with the tomatoes, and cook until liquid thickens, 8–10 minutes. Add the wine, and cook, simmering quickly, until it is reduced by half. Add the broth, salt if needed, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 hour. Discard the herbs, and set the dutch oven aside.
Brown the sausages in 1 Tb of the reserved fat until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Cut the sausages into 1" pieces.
If you choose to add the duck legs, brown them skin side down in a saute pan, turn and continue cooking 4-5 minutes more, then roast them in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until fully cooked.
To assemble the cassoulet:
Warm a 4-quart casserole by immersing/filling it with hot water for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from their liquid, but reserve the liquid. Arrange a third of the beans in the bottom of the casserole. Cover them with half of the pork and pancetta mixture and half the sausages. Repeat with another layer of beans, then the remaining meats. End with a layer of beans, coming to within about 1 inch of the rim of the casserole. Ladle the pork cooking liquid plus as much bean cooking liquid as needed to just cover the beans. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the reserved cooking fat over the breadcrumbs.
Cooking the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If you have prepared the cassoulet ingredients ahead, and are reheating from the refrigerator, Julia Child suggests in Julia Child & More Company that it is best to slowly reheat the casserole in a 325 degree oven for an hour and then proceed with the "official" final baking. This technique works for both versions.

The beans are the stars of the veggie version.

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Deb Perlman of Smitten Kitchen adapted this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Gourmet. I used a New Orleans-style brown roux to give this cassoulet additional richness and depth of flavor. In contrast to the traditional method of making roux, which requires mega-minutes of constant stirring, preparing the roux in the oven is a no-brainer that needs minimal supervision. The tablespoon of Dijon mustard stirred in at the end nicely neutralizes any too "tomato-ey" taste and adds a bit of tanginess.

Oven Brown Roux (from Alton Brown)

4 oz vegetable oil

4 oz flour

Cassoulet vegetables
1 lb. white beans, soaked and cooked as described above
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tb olive oil
6 Tb brown roux (preparation instructions below)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 19-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart stock (vegetable or chicken if you're not rigidly vegetarian)
1 Tb (or to taste) Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Garlic crumbs
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil

For the roux:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the vegetable oil and flour into a small oven proof casserole and whisk together to combine. Place the casserole on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

Make the cassoulet:
Prepare the white beans as described above.
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Heat the 2 Tb of olive oil and 6 Tb of roux in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and the herb bouquet. Then add the stock, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Remove the herb bouquet and add the mustard and salt & pepper to taste.

Finish the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken the broth. Reheat the cassoulet and transfer it to a warmed oven proof casserole. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the 1/4 cup olive oil over the breadcrumbs. Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If reheating cold ingredients, see note under baking the casserole for the meat version.

Pain d'Epices au Chocolat
from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
Note: I made 1 1/2 recipes which baked up quite prettily in just 25 minutes in two of my tres chic 5-cup capacity French loaf pans. Melt the chocolate & butter together before you do anything else, and it will be sufficiently cooled by the time that you need it.
Makes one 9" round cake

7 Tb butter, cut in chunks plus more to grease the pan
7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 c. flour
3 Tb unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp whole anise seeds (I was skeptical, but they added a flavorful but subtle touch)
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1/4 c honey
2/3 c sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9" round cake pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with flour or cocoa powder and shake out the excess.

In a double boiler or large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and ground spices. Stir in the anise seed.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (OK to use portable, but tedious) whip the eggs, yolks, honey, and sugar until thick like a mousse, about 5 minutes on high speed. (This is the secret process that keeps the cake from baking up to a brick-like consistency. Fold by hand with a rubber spatula a third of the whipped egg mixture into the chocolate and butter, then fold the chocolate back into the remaining egg batter until just throughly mixed.

Add the dry ingredients one-third at a time, sprinkling them on top of the chocolate batter and folding them in until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels barely set in the center, but still moist.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a rack. When cool, wrap the cake in plastic and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.